Sri Lanka Navy rape case refugees say threatened

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2005, 14:05 GMT]
Representatives from the group of refugees that alleged it was beaten, robbed and raped by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) personnel on a sandbank off Thalaimannar on 5 February informed the Mannar Citizens Committee Wednesday that they want to withdraw their case from Mannar courts as they are facing threats. On Tuesday none of refugees turned up at the Mannar courts for the identification parade of twenty two sailors from Thalaimannar SLN base to point out the men who had allegedly robbed them and raped women in the group.
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Northern fishermen boycott demanding new gear

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 18:00 GMT]
Vadamaradchchi Fisheries Societies Sunday decided that their members will not fish for commercial purpose on a large scale until their tsunami destroyed fishing boats, engines and fishing gear are replaced by the Sri Lanka Government. Currently only a few fishermen go out fishing using catamarans and small boats repaired locally, fisheries sources said.
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Refugees allege were raped, robbed by Sri Lanka Navy men

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 11:30 GMT]
A group of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees alleged in a complaint to the Mannar Citizens’ Committee Wednesday that they were beaten, robbed and molested on a sandbank in the seas off Mannar last Saturday by five men suspected to be Sri Lanka Navy personnel. They also alleged that several refugee women were raped by the sailors. Thalaimannar Police Tuesday admitted to Mannar Base Hospital Ms. Rajitha Rajan, 25, one of the refugee women who were allegedly raped on the sandbank, for medical tests.


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Refugees, robbed, molested on sandbank in Mannar sea

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 15:39 GMT]
A group of fifty Sri Lankan Tamil refugees abandoned on a sandbank in the seas off Thalaimannar were assaulted and robbed of all their belongings and savings by five armed men, the victims told Mannar courts Monday. The armed men had stripped and molested the women in the group at gun point. The refugees told Mannar magistrate Mr. N.M.M Abdullah they had left from camps in South India where they had been living for the last fifteen years.
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Displaced fishermen demand resettlement near HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 18:15 GMT]
Displaced fishermen of Valigamam coastal villages inside the high security zone (HSZ) and currently living in the villages of Polykandi, Sakkotai and Supparmadam in Vadamaradchchi North are to launch a protest campaign demanding they be allowed to resettle in villages from Valalai to Thondamannaru which border the HSZ, representatives of fisheries societies said at a press briefing held Thursday night at the office of the Vadamaradchchi North Fisheries Society.
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Jaffna cleans shoreline of damaged corals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 March 2005, 05:09 GMT]
Fisheries societies in Vadamaradchchi division, with funding assistance from the non-governmental organization Sewa Lanka, have initiated a project to remove debris from damage coral reefs found scattered in coastal areas due to tsunami disaster to allow normalization of fishing activities, sources said.
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SLA prevents deepening tsunami affected jetties in north

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 February 2005, 15:52 GMT]
A conference has been summoned for Tuesday to settle the dispute between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Vadamaradchchi fisheries societies over the deepening about twenty-one fisheries jetties affected from Thondamannaru in the Vadamaradchchi north to Munai point in Point Pedro coast affected by tsunami. Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Jaffna district and the Government Agent have been invited for the conference, fisheries sources said.
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SLN rescues twelve Tamil refugees from midsea

[TamilNet, Saturday, 26 February 2005, 15:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) rescued 12 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, five children, three women and four men men, returning from South India from a sandbank in the midsea between Thanushkodi and Rameswaram Thursday, and handed them over to Talaimannar Police, security sources said.
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Japan donates Rs 8.9 million to upgrade Thellipalai hospital

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 February 2005, 22:26 GMT]
The Government of Japan today donated a sum of USD 90,204 (approximately Rs. 8.9 million) towards the "Project for Emergency Rehabilitation of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems at Thellipalai Hospital" in the Jaffna peninsula as a part of its continuous efforts in improving the emergency health care needs in areas where access to health facilities and services are insufficient.
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Civil groups demand action against sex assaults

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 15:16 GMT]
Citizens Committee, Justice and Peace Commission, Peoples Forum and Traders Association of Mannar district Monday appealed to Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge to take stern action against errand policemen who are involved in sexual assaults on students and women in Mannar, sources said.


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Mannar Court orders release of Indian trawlers

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 15:06 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Monday ordered the release of seven Indian trawlers seized by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) last year when poaching in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka on an application made by the South Indian Fisheries Federation (SIFF). Talaimannar Police did not object to the application, legal sources said.
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Protest against Thaalvupaadu Police sexual assault

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 07:12 GMT]
Hundreds of protestors carrying placards stood near Mannar courts Monday demanding stern action against a Sri Lanka Police constable accused of sexually assaulting and grievously wounding a schoolboy in Thaalvupaadu, a coastal village five kilometres from Mannar town. The accused Policeman was produced in court Monday for an identification parade.
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Mannar Bishop writes to LTTE over shooting at sea

[TamilNet, Saturday, 19 February 2005, 13:24 GMT]
Mannar Bishop, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, wrote to the Liberation Tigers Saturday regarding the incident at sea near Vidathaltheevu in which armed persons believed to be Sea Tigers fired on the boats of fishermen from Pallimunai, a coastal suburb of Mannar town, damaging the boats. Angered by the incident, a group fishermen from Pallimunai attacked and damaged the LTTE's political office in Mannar town Friday.
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LTTE political office attacked

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 February 2005, 05:43 GMT]
The political office of the Liberation Tigers in Mannar was attacked by group of persons Friday around 11 a.m. A unit of riot Police that was training in the vicinity arrested some of the attackers but released them soon after, according to neighbours. The group had come from Pallimunai, a coastal suburb of Mannar.
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Mannar court disallows application for release of Indian trawlers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 February 2005, 14:27 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Thursday disallowed the application seeking the release of all Indian fishing trawlers captured by the Sri Lanka Navy when poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters and are currently kept in their custody at the naval camps in Kayts, Pallimunai and Talaimannar, legal sources said.
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Vocational Training Center opened in Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 February 2005, 02:42 GMT]
The Social Development Centre (SDC) headquartered in Killinochchi, opened the first vocational training centre (VTC) at Navaratnapuram, Sampoor in the Liberation Tigers controlled Muttur east, south of the Trincomalee district with the assistance of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Wednesday morning. Colonel Sornam, Trincomalee district military commander ceremonially declared open the main building of VTC, sources in Muttur said.
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"Tiger flag is Tamil nation’s flag" – Mannar Bishop

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 February 2005, 11:39 GMT]
"There is nothing wrong in the Tamil nation raising its national flag. The Tamil national flag is not the Tigers’ flag but it is the Tamil people’s flag. Hoisting it is not against peace. Many who shout against it are silent over the recent killings. It is very deplorable that such murders are committed even amidst the great human tragedy caused by the Tsunami. These killings are provocations to war", said Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, addressing a rally in Mannar town Tuesday to condemn the killing of LTTE political leader, Mr. Kousalyan, the bombing of LTTE’s political office and sexual assault of a student by Police.
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Grenade attack on Mannar LTTE political office, one dead

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 February 2005, 14:54 GMT]
Two civilians and an LTTE political worker were wounded when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at the Liberation Tigers' political office in Mannar town Saturday night around 7.45 PM. Mannar hospital sources said one civilian identified as M. Callister (32) who was admitted at the Mannar Hospital succumbed to wounds.
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Police sexual assault on student sparks protest in Mannar

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 15:17 GMT]
Hundreds of people protested against Sri Lanka Police in Thaalvupaadu, a coastal village near Mannar town Friday evening, demanding action against constables who had sexually assaulted and grievously injured a school boy. The seriously injured student was admitted to Mannar hospital and then rushed to Vavuniya as his condition was serious.
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NE Athletic Federation formed

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2005, 21:14 GMT]
The Athletic Federation of North East Province was inaugurated Saturday in Killinochchi. Representatives from eight District Athletic Association attended the inaugural meeting with Mr.K.Paapa, Head of the Tamileelam Sports Department as the chief guest. Federations for Football, Netball, Karate and Cricket Council for the North East Province would also be formed before the end of February, Mr.Paapa said at the event, sources said.
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